IRNSS-1E(Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System)

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)  launched IRNSS-1E, the fifth of the seven-satellite Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) into space.
• PSLV C-31 rocket lifted the 1,425 kg satellite from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre .
• IRNSS-1E with a mission life of 12 years was launched into a sub geosynchronous transfer orbit with a 284 km perigee (nearest point to Earth) and 20,657 km apogee (farthest point from Earth) with an inclination of 19.2 degree with reference to the equatorial plane.
• IRNSS-1E carried navigation and ranging payloads, including a rubidium atomic clock, C-band transponder and corner cube retro reflectors for laser ranging.
• The signal-in-space of four satellites has already been validated by various agencies within and outside the country.

About Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)

• IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system being developed by India. It is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area. IRNSS will provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS) and is expected to provide a position accuracy of better than 20 m in the primary service area.
•  The IRNSS system mainly consists of Ground Segment, Space Segment and User Segment. The space segment consists of seven satellites with three in geostationary orbit and four in inclined geosynchronous orbit. The navigation payload transmits signals in L5 and S-band. The ranging payload consists of a C-band transponder, which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite.

IRNSS-1A

• The first of the 7 satellites of the IRNSS Constellation, IRNSS-1A, was successfully launched onboard . PSLV-C22 on July 01, 2013 and is functioning satisfactorily.

IRNSS-1B

• The satellite was launched successfully on April 4, 2014 by PSLV-C24. IRNSS-1B is functioning satisfactorily.

IRNSS-1C

• The satellite was successfully launched onboard PSLV-C26 on October 16, 2014. Orbit raising operations and In-Orbit Testing were successfully completed and Spacecraft performance is satisfactory.

IRNSS-1D

• IRNSS-1D is a satellite in the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) constellation. The satellite is the fourth of seven in the constellation, launched after IRNSS-1A, IRNSS-1B and IRNSS-1C. The satellite is the only satellite in the constellation slated to provide navigational services to the region.

Applications Of IRNSS

IRNSS will provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Service (SPS) which is provided to all the users and Restricted Service (RS), which is an encrypted service provided only to the authorised users. The IRNSS System is expected to provide a position accuracy of better than 20 m in the primary service area.

Some applications of IRNSS are:

• Terrestrial, Aerial and Marine Navigation
• Disaster Management
• Vehicle tracking and fleet management
• Integration with mobile phones
• Precise Timing
• Mapping and Geodetic data capture
• Terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travelers
• Visual and voice navigation for drivers

By: Vishal